OpenLSTO vs Plato

OpenLSTO is open-source C++ software for structural topology optimization using a level set method. It seeks to minimize compliance, or maximize stiffness, within a volume constraint in a two-dimensional design domain. Developed and maintained by researchers at UC San Diego and Cardiff University, the described first light version is limited to that 2D problem. It runs through command-line arguments in a terminal; simple serial cases without external libraries can be compiled and executed with a C++ compiler. OpenLSTO produces.vtk solution files that ParaView can read, so users need a data visualization tool for post-processing. The project favors in-house components where possible and is available under the Apache 2.0 license. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with repository-clone and ZIP download options. The software is free: the OpenLSTO plan is free. The project says expanded capabilities using externally provided software are planned for a more advanced version.

Plato is a Linux command-line platform for topology optimization, helping designers develop geometry that meets functional requirements. It solves topology and shape design problems with adjoint methods for gradient-based optimization. Documented objectives include increasing stiffness or heat flow and reducing stress. Plato coordinates workflows involving geometry, meshing, and physics simulation packages. It includes the open-source physics code Plato Analyze and can also be used with a growing set of internal Sandia physics codes. Research features described for the platform include structural optimization across multiple materials, uncertainty-aware structural optimization, level-set methods, and a massively parallel kernel filter. A graphical interface is in development for selected applications. The open-source version is listed at free, with a limited set of objectives and constraints. A license is required to obtain an installation package.